Allied Shinobi Chronicles, Story 1: Mission to Amegakure
by ladykatsuyu
Summary: Takes place about a year after the war. The Shinobi Union has been trying to get Amegakure to join, but the village has not had stable leadership since the Akatsuki and has 3 clans fighting for leadership over the village. The Village Police Force has asked the Union to help them convince the clans for form a joint leadership. ShikaTema ChouKarui NaruHina LeeTen SaiIno and others.
1. 1: You will do well, I have faith in you

It had been a little over a year since The Fourth Shinobi World War, and many shinobi were still working hard to restore their villages and way of life. Families were still mourning their lost, and the economy still needed time to recover. All regular shinobi work and much of the civilian work had been halted for many months, leaving may people desperate for money. The allies suffered heavily on all sides, but fortunately the bond that had been forged during the great war lasted into the times of peace.

After the great war, the Allied Shinobi Forces formed the Shinobi Union, an organization primarily led by the Kage. Under the Union, the hidden villages and their associated countries quickly recovered from the Fourth Shinobi World War. In the interest of preserving the peace, a representative from each member village was stationed in every other hidden village so that they could discuss common issues and pursue mutual interests. This also helped to strengthen bonds between villages and create alliances that may have been lost throughout of the years or may have never truly existed.

The Union accepted missions from clients and formed teams from all its member nations' shinobi who were found to be most suitable for the mission. Such a system provided equal opportunity to all villages, eliminating the need for future conflicts. It also invited the opportunity for shinobi to learn more about their brethren from foreign lands — and many existing feuds between villages or individual teams were soon demolished creating a peaceful working relationship or friendship among these groups.

The Shinobi Union held headquarters in the Land of Iron, which was still considered neutral territory. Each village sent a representative to represent their hidden village of origin for the Union. These shinobi met monthly at the Union Headquarters.

Their Head Representative and Chief Organizer, Shikamaru Nara, sat on a bench by the large frost-covered windows of the upper floors of the Shinobi Union Headquarters, lazily looking outside at the clouds sailing across the snow topped mountains of the Land of Iron. To any passerby, he might appear unfocused and bored, but in reality, he was running through the meeting's agenda in his head; notes he and Temari worked on the night before; and the details of important diplomats who would be present today. Truth be told, he was anxious. This was not his first meeting leading the Union, but it held some significance as it was the first of which he would be leading with the full union as it stood to date — with all representing Allies of the Hidden Villages and Allies of the various shinobi lands and territories who had agreed to join after his and Temari's efforts.

"Shikamaru, it's time," called Temari from the end of the hall. Shikamaru suppressed a sigh as he slowly stood and gathered his things to join her.

"Are you ready?" She said as she moved beside him to his left as they walked toward the door that lead to the conference room.

"As I'll ever be," he said, notes of exasperation and annoyance in his voice.

She scowled at him. "I hope you are taking this seriously. The role you were given isn't something to take lightly. It's already been a year after the war, and if we are going to move forward with a peaceful allied shinobi union across all nations, we need not just them to join us, but others, and-"

"I take this very seriously, Temari," he said, interrupting her with a small scowl. "Just as seriously as you do. You should know that. I'm just-" he paused, frowning slightly, and not able to continue as they stood in front of the door to the conference room. Voices and loud laughter could be heard coming from the other side.

Suddenly, she grabbed his left hand and laced her fingers through it, gripping it softly. He looked at her surprised. Keeping her gaze firmly on the door and avoiding his eyes, she smiled slightly and softly whispered, "you will do well. I have faith in you."

Shikamaru blushed lightly before she released his hand and moved to open the door. Quickly planting his usual look of casual boredom on his face, he shoved that hand into his pocket and shifted the contents of his report to tuck under his left arm to free up his right hand.

They walked into the large conference room together and greeted various diplomats standing around the large u-shape table.

Representatives from the Five Great Shinobi Nations, The Land of Iron, and other important diplomats stood around the room speaking with one another.

Temari, ever the politically-savvy kunoichi, walked around to each group to greet everyone with a wide smile and a firm handshake, eyes taking in the entire room with a quick swoop.

Shikamaru followed her and listened with a smile as she asked the meeting attendees for updates on affairs in their individual villages but said very little himself, eventually opting to speak politely and inquire about the weather to a few representatives of the Land of Iron to pass the time before the meeting officially started.

"Shikamaru, it's been a while."

Shikamaru turned to see Kankuro smiling and extending his hand out to shake Shikamaru's hand. Shikamaru returned the smile, and reached out to shake his hand firmly, but quickly moved his hand away afterward to grab some of the papers slipping out from under his left arm - still never taking his left hand out of his pocket.

Kankuro peered down with a raised purple eyebrow at the hand still sitting firmly in Shikamaru's pocket, then looked up at him, smiled and said, "It's good to see you, Shikamaru. Hopefully Temari hasn't been on your case too much recently? We both know how much of a nag she can be."

Temari looked up from her conversation with Chojuro and Kurotsuchi for a brief moment and scowled at Kankuro before turning back to continue.

Shikamaru laughed nervously and said, "Well, she wouldn't be Temari if she wasn't always bossing me around and making me do things I didn't really want to do."

Kankuro grinned slyly and said, "Well, you've always seemed like the kind of guy who needs someone to hold your hand in order to make you do something," Kankuro peered down at Shikamaru's hand in his pocket with a smirk more before walking off to talk with Omoi and Darui.

Shikamaru sighed before turning back to the others in the room, muttering to himself, "Troublesome…"

As the meeting time rolled around, everyone moved to sit down in their usual places around the table. Shikamaru moved to take the seat at the small rectangular table set up in the front of the room at the head of the u-shaped conference table. Temari moved to the end of the u-shaped table to sit near him on his right.

"So, Shikamaru, what's going on that can't wait until we meet in 2 weeks?" said Kurotsuchi casually as she leaned on the table with her elbow, rested her cheek on the palm and knuckles of one hand while half-smiling at him.

Shikamaru peered at Temari from the corner of his eye for only a second before he began:

"Right. Thank you all for coming outside of our usual schedule. We've been presented with a request that has been marked as 'time sensitive' that needs immediate action on our part. You have been called here so that we can come to an agreement as to how to proceed. As you all know, negotiations with Amegakure haven't gone as we have hoped - there has been no clear leader since the death of Akatsuki members Nagato and Konan. It is our understanding that there are now three main clans fighting for leadership over the village. Constant civil war is causing great hardship on the villagers, leading to many unnecessary civilian deaths. We have been contacted by the village police department who is asking for assistance from the Shinobi Union with coordinating negotiations among the three clans and possibly assistance with protection of their citizens. Two clans are willing to form a joint leadership, but one is not. Police Chief Hiroki Kazuhiko believes there is war brewing between both the clans who are willing to form the joint leadership and the remaining clan over leadership of the village. They believe solid negotiations would prevent this impending war. However, they believe that if negotiations cannot be made, they will need assistance with protecting the villagers during the war."

"Why do they need help from us," said Kurotsuchi, eyebrow raised. "Can they not protect their own citizens? Do they not have shinobi on their force? And what about the shinobi of their village?"

"The police department doesn't have any shinobi on staff — at least, not trained shinobi who can handle this sort of combat. The groups fighting for control over the village are becoming too difficult for them to handle themselves. And the vast majority of the shinobi from their village have been hired by one of the three clans, so they aren't able to rely on their own shinobi to handle the problem," said Shikamaru. "They are having a difficult time performing their primary duty, which is to protect the citizens of the village. In the past, they worked alongside the village leader and village shinobi. Now, they do not have that support system."

"Well...Shikamaru…what are you suggesting that we do," said Chojuro, frowning slightly.

Shikamaru flexed the hand that was in his pocket. " _You will do well. I have faith in you_ ," he remembered.

"I think we should send in a specialized group of shinobi to complete this mission. But, I don't expect this to be easy. The three clans have special jutsu that could be troublesome for even the experienced jounin.

As I mentioned, there are three clans:

The Dokusuto Clan, lead by Yori Dokusuto, who has roughly 500 shinobi under his command, and possibly more we have not accounted for. Dokusuto is paying the highest in terms of shinobi salaries but his selection process is tight-rigid. He has a personal guard of 100 Shinobi whom he commands that watches over his household, but he does not send them out to fight. We have been told that he and his shinobi primarily use water-style jutsu.

The Masanori Clan is another clan and is lead by Tsuneo Masanori, who has roughly 300 shinobi under his command. He, also, has a personal guard of 50 Shinobi whom he commands that watches over his household, but he, too, does not send them out to fight. Little is known about these 50 shinobi. His shinobi are primarily family members and members of his clan. They are genjutsu users, and known for their intimidation tactics.

Finally, we have the Takeshi Clan, lead by renown gangster Goro Takeshi, who is reported to have about 500 Shinobi and an average of 1500 non-shinobi fighters who are citizens of the village. Goro has offered jobs to non-Shinobi at low wages compared to the normal shinobi salary, but high for many of the citizens of the village for jobs in the village. This money has been an asset to many civilians and many see him as a 'god-sent' because of the lack of jobs available at this time due to the war. But taking these jobs come at great risk to the fighter. Many have lost their lives fighting shinobi; Goro is continuously cycling in new fighters because the jobs are on high demand. Goro owns lots of property in the village - mostly hotels, night clubs, bars, restaurants and other businesses. Goro's clan specializes in Fūinjutsu, Bukijutsu, Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. They are also known for their use of food pills during battle to increase their fighting power, but little is known about these pills.

The police have tried negotiating with all three clans, and so far Masanori and Dokusuto seem to be willing to come to an agreement, but not Goro.

As I mentioned before, according to the police force, there is an impending war on the horizon between the two clans and Goro. Unless Goro can be convinced to join the joint leadership, the war will go on."

"So, you're saying that we may need to work with the police force and other clans to stop Goro and his gang before this can happen, right?" said Kurotsuchi.

"Actually, no," said Shikamaru.

Almost everyone around the room looked at Shikamaru in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" said Kankuro as he looked back and forth at Shikamaru and Temari in confusion.

"Doing that would go against what this organization stands to do," said Shikamaru with a tone of finality.

"I'm not sure if I understand. I thought we were trying to prevent war and preserve peace?" said Omoi, brow furrowing in confusion.

"And, as shinobi, why wouldn't we use our skills to fight Goro and prevent this war from occurring? To keep civilians safe?" said Darui as he looked at Shikamaru skeptically.

Shikamaru looked down at the small rectangular table in front of him and closed his eyes. Temari looked at him nervously and wondered if she should say something to prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

"What you are suggesting," said Shikamaru, looking up slowly, "is that we step in an shape the outcome of the situation. The outcome of the war and the leadership of the village?"

"What is wrong with that? Especially since we would be able to shape things using an outside, non-biased perspective," said Kankuro.

"I mean, why can't we just go in and kill the bastard who keeps pissing in the flower pot and killing all the pretty flowers," said Kurotsuchi with a tone of annoyance.

"Our organization is not responsible for that, nor should we get involved with that. Our focus is on maintaining international peace and security and developing friendly relations among nations. Our primary mission is promoting social progress and creating better living standards and protecting human rights of shinobi and civilians alike. Politicking is not our focus and installing the best leadership is not our mission," said Temari, looking around the room at everyone at the table. Shikamaru gave her a slight smile, which she returned.

"I see…I understand what you are saying, Shikamaru…Temari…" said Omoi quietly, nodding slowly.

"But shaping the outcome of the situation would prevent a war from occurring, would keep the peace and would prevent a lot more people from dying," Kurosuchi continued. "I still think Kankuro was on to something there."

"But what if we choose the wrong outcome? The wrong leader? Or leaders? Our main focus has always been protecting citizens and shinobi and forming a joint union between the nations. As Temari said: 'friendly relations between the nations' is our focus. We are not responsible for the governing of each individual nation nor should we ever get involved with that. Doing something such as…assassinating Goro to prevent the war, for example…" Omoi looked at Kurotsuchi with a raised eyebrow before continuing, "wouldn't follow along with our organization's core function."

There was silence around the room as everyone contemplated this.

"I suppose I see what you are saying," said Kankuro.

"Yes, yes, I suppose that makes sense," said Kurotsuchi, waving a hand in the air in dismissal, eyes closed in annoyance.

"Continue, Shikamaru," said Omoi with a small smile and nod in his direction.

Shikamaru continues. "Right. Well, um, if Goro and the two clans do not come to an agreement, I am concerned about the citizens and how they will be effected during the war." Many of the individuals around the table tensed at this statement, remembering the death and carnage of the most recent war.

"If the war occurs, our primary responsibility will be to keep the citizens safe. This will likely require shinobi with certain types of abilities in order to counteract the clan's attacks, as well as medic ninja who are trained in battle who can assist the citizens who are injured."

"Who do you suggest that we send?" asked Chojuro.

"I have provided a list of jounin whom I believe would fit the criteria. You will find the list in the folder in front of you," said Shikamaru.

Folders opened, and silence filled the room as people scanned the sheet.

Leader - Shikamaru Nara  
Secondary Leader - Temari  
Primary Negotiator, Sensory and fighter as needed - Naruto Uzumaki  
Medic, Sensory, and Fighter; Genjutsu Release - Hinata Hyuga  
Communications, Air Infantry - Sai  
Taijutsu specialist - Rock Lee  
Militarized Weapons Expert -TenTen  
Food Pill Expert, Taijutsu specialist - Chouji Akimichi  
Weapons Fighter - Karui  
Medic, Sensory, and Fighter; Primary Communications, Genjutsu Release - Ino Yamanaka  
Communications, Sensory, Air Infintry, Genjutsu Release - Shino Aburame  
Taijutsu specialist - Kiba Inuzuka  
Weapons Fighter - Chojuro  
Earth Style user - Kurotsuchi

Suddenly, someone let out a soft snort of laughter.

"Naruto…Uzumaki...eh," said Omoi with a chuckle.

"I see that you've volunteered us as shinobi assigned to this mission," said Kurotsuchi with a smirk as she looked at Chojuro, who shrugged in return, and Omoi who was staring down at the paper with a look of anxiety present on his face.

"Karui hasn't been on the field in a long time," said Omoi with a note of hesitation in his voice.

"Is that a problem," said Temari.

"No, not exactly. I just hope she isn't rusty since shes been working in an office for months," said Omoi, his voice laced with anxiety.

"But, Omoi, you've been training with her almost daily," said Darui, looking at him with tired eyes.

"Yes, but, I've at least been on real missions. She's been too distracted by her job for the Union…that, and the opposite sex," said Omoi, with a groan of anxiety.

Many people around the table laughed at this, and Temari and Shikamaru exchanged knowing glances and smirks.

"So, shall we proceed? Any changes? Or is this ready to go to the Kage," said Shikamaru, looking around the room.

"Everything looks fine to me," said Kurotsuchi with a thumbs up and a wink.

Omoi waved a hand in agreement, eyes shifting left and right as his mind rushed with thoughts. Darui rolled his eyes at him.

"O-ok. I am in agreement as well. Let's move forward," said Chojuro with a nervous smile.

Temari smiled slightly, and nodded.

Shikamaru looked around the room as others nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Then we will move forward with the plan. Feel free to report this information to your villages when you return; however, we will send messengers immediately after this meeting seeking approval from the Kage. Thank you all for you time and efforts. Without you, this union would not be successful. Meeting adjourned."

Dozens of chairs shuffled and slid across the floor as diplomats moved to talk to one another or leave. Temari moved to collect meeting folders sitting out on the table. Shikamaru stood and moved to collect folders as well, and placed them on the table he sat at.

"You did well," Temari whispered softly as she came up beside him, setting the remaining folders in the table and brushing his shoulder slightly before turning to talk to Chojuro.

Shikamaru smiled to himself briefly before turning to join their conversation.


	2. 2: Kage Approval

Recovery efforts in Konohagakure were progressing well. Much of the village had already been restored after the assault from Pain, so the village had been used as a safe-haven during the war for those who could not participate.

Thankfully, the village had not sustained much damage during the war — at least compared to its neighbors, who asked for assistance from the village and were flocking in seeking medical care or temporary shelter.

The village's population went down substantially after both the assault from Pain and the war, but efforts were being made to encourage growth in that area. However, losses were still being felt by many of the families and comrades of deceased shinobi. And economically, the village was struggling— jobs were scarce, and many businesses were closed or permanently closed.

Still, the shinobi and civilians of Konoha worked hard to restore their village and way of life. Even during these times of difficulty, there was a feeling of goodwill and hope ever present in the village. Many shinobi were called back to work almost immediately after the war — filling posts and duties that required their attention for more hours of the day than they may have been used to in the past. Everyone was expected to do their fair share of work — and most were expected to do the job of several people in order to make up for the losses the village was suffering. "Work must continue," was the mantra of the moment, followed by "we are all part of making our village strong again. Every one of us."

Shortly after the war, the fifth Hokage, Tsunade, retired from her post to focus her attention on the medical corps and healing the wounded. The post of Hokage was given to the most obvious and best candidate at the time — Kakashi Hatake — who had shown his caliber during the war as well as before when Tsunade was indisposed after the attack on the village by Pain of the Akatsuki.

There was an understandable amount of wariness coming from the new Hokage. He was consciously concerned about the state of affairs in his village, and he constantly pushed himself and others.

His villagers were proud of him and had the upmost respect for their Hokage — for he was soon known as one the the hardest working Hokages in history.

But many were growing concerned — for the new Hokage seemed to push himself too much.

—-

Shizune walked down the hall carrying a tray of fresh tea and a small scroll that had the label "Hokage" printed on it with an official stamp from the Shinobi Union messengers.

She opened the door to the Hokage Office, not bothering to knock, and placed her items on the corner of the Hokage's desk.

"Lord Hokage, a message for you," she said, placing the scroll on the desk in front of him. "And tea. It's about that time of day."

"Thank you, Shizune. And what did I say about calling me that? Kakashi is fine," he said, eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled at her warmly and picked up the scroll. "Did you read this yet?"

"As per your request, I usual do," said Shizune, a tone of discomfort hidden beneath her response.

"And," said Kakashi expectantly, grabbing the teapot and cup and pouring himself a cup. "I usually ask you to read these because you usually summarize the contents for me so well. I'd rather hear you tell me what's inside them than read them myself. Feel free to have some, by the way," he said, while motioning to the other empty tea cup.

"I had thought Naruto would be here. That's why I brought two," Shizune said, grabbing the other cup and bowing slightly as Kakashi poured her some tea. "You know, I really should be doing that for you," she said with a half smile.

"I can pour my own tea, Shizune. Becoming Hokage doesn't make me an invalid," said Kakashi with a tone of annoyance. "Naruto is out running errands for me and likely getting lunch."

"Ah, I see. Ramen break," said Shizune with a slight chuckle.

Kakashi nodded, smile again forming crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he took a sip of his tea. "So…the message," he said, looking up at her expectantly.

"Oh, yes. The representatives of the nations that make up the Shinobi Union have agreed to move forward with Shikamaru's plan. Kage have been contacted asking for their approval," said Shizune.

"Has anyone approved yet," said Kakashi.

"Suna, Kumo, Kiri, Iron, and all of the small shinobi villages. Shikamaru wrote saying that they are just waiting to hear from the others whom he believes he will hear approval from in the next day or so though they already have the majority vote to move forward."

"Good," said Kakashi, lacing his fingers under his chin. "When will he return?"

"We should expect him within the next 3 - 5 days. He is bringing the Suna ambassador with him, and others of the team will rendezvous here within that same time frame."

"Good," Kakashi repeated. He seemed to look at her with puppy dog eyes as he said, "Our guests will need accommodations—"

"Yes, I will coordinate that," said Shizune with a smirk.

"Good," Kakashi repeated, sounding slightly relieved. "Anything else?"

"You will need to address the mission with your shinobi in the next day or so. Shall I arrange for them to meet you?"

"Yes, please do so," said Kakashi, smiling again.

"Alright. I think that's everything," said Shizune, scanning the room as if looking for the answer.

"Thank you, Shizune. I don't know what I would do without you," said Kakashi, chuckling lightly.

"Oh, you would manage," said Shizune, grinning and waving a hand dismissively. She picked up the tray and started to leave when Kakashi said abruptly, "Oh, uh, Shizune?"

She turned to look at him and responded with, "Hm?" She had felt his eyes on her back as he had been watching her with a strange expression while she walked toward the door.

He paused. He continued to look at her for a moment, and appeared lost in deep inner turmoil. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

He suddenly looked away, scratched the back of his head nervously with one hand and waved the other in dismal as he said, "ah, never mind, I can't remember what I was going to say, but I'm pretty sure it was nothing important. I really need to get back to work. Thanks, again, for everything." He smiled at her again, then quickly turned his chair around and faced the windows making himself look busy undoing the scroll she brought him.

Her eyes narrowed at him briefly in question before she shrugged and continued to walk out the door, closing it with a snap.

While she was leaving, Kakashi was pretending to be busy opening and reading the scroll as his eyes widened in embarrassment. When he heard the door close he closed his eyes tightly, ducked his head in shame and sighed quietly. _Obito probably would've gotten a kick out of this,_ he thought bitterly. _He's probably joking with Rin about how I have no problem attracting the opposite sex but, unlike him, I have no game when it comes to-_

Suddenly, the door reopened and Shizune walked back in. "Lord Hokage, There is something else." His head snapped up and his eyes widened in panic. He didn't immediately turn toward her, trying to relax his face before doing so.

"Yes, Shizune," he said, a note of annoyance in his voice, trying to make it sound like it was very busy and didn't want to be interrupted again.

"I know you haven't been eating the way you should be, and Tsunade warned you and I both that not following a proper meal schedule and eating a balanced diet could result in many potential health problems. And we don't want the Hokage getting sick, especially right now when things are still so turbulent," she said, giving him a knowing look. "I know you will plan to stay late tonight as per usual, so allow me to bring you dinner tonight. And per Tsunade's request, I insist that you allow me to stay and be sure you eat every bite."

He looked at her with eyes wide in complete shock. She smiled at him innocently.

"Alright, Shizune. I appreciate your concern. Dinner would be nice. I'll plan to eat around 7:30," he said, trying to sound as "Hokage-like" as possible.

"Good! I'll see you later, then," said Shizune with a pleased smile, walking back out of the room and closing the door.

Kakashi starred at the door with narrowed eyes for a moment before silently chuckling to himself and scratching the back of his head. _Looking forward to it,_ he thought, with a smile, as he turned back in his chair and started to read the scroll.


	3. 3: Unexpected (KakashixShizune Chapter)

The sun was setting over Konoha as lights began to flicker on in windows across the village. The crowded streets of Konoha began to empty and the daily sounds of the village began to fade into the quiet, sleepy sounds of the night.

Workers in the Hokage Office and Administrative Building began to leave for the day. Chatter could be heard from workers as some complained about the work they completed that day and others asked their friends out to a drink or meal that evening.

As the building cleared, few remained, including the Hokage himself. The Hokage sat at his desk, hunched over, reading the contents of a report. He tried to ignore the ache in his neck and the piercing headache behind his eyes as he mentally processed the contents on the scroll in front of him.

His day had been long and strenuous — filled with meetings, hearings, reports, and various other tasks that honestly exhausted him. All the while, in the back of his mind, he thought about the impending evening and only nervousness continued to pool in the pit of his stomach.

He didn't like that. It's not that he had never felt nervous before — it was that the only times he had ever truly felt nervous were times he also felt filled with a sense of impending doom. The anxiety of it all was making him downright grumpy — and he found himself dismissing his assistants rather coldly as he shut himself away in his office for the remainder of the afternoon and evening to try and calm his thoughts.

Suddenly, the door to his office opened. "Lord Hokage, it's time for dinner."

"Not now, Shizune. I'm trying to finish this report," said Kakashi, a tone of annoyance in his voice. His time of seclusion had not helped.

"Yes, now. It's 7:30, my Lord. And you promised me you would eat a substantial meal this evening," said Shizune, mimicking Kakashi's tone of annoyance.

He looked up at her with a scowl and said "I don't remember promising anything—"

"Oh, don't even try that. You're having dinner, and you're not getting out of it. Besides, the food is already prepared," said Shizune, grinning defiantly.

"Already…prepared," asked Kakashi, an eyebrow raising.

"Yes, I assumed you would try to get out of this somehow. That's why I had the cooks go ahead and have the food ready before I stopped by tonight."

"But how do you know what I want to eat," said Kakashi, furrowing his brow irritably.

Shizune just smirked at him, and turned and left his office with the door open.

Shizune walked back into his office pushing a small cart that had several covered plates on it.

Kakashi peered up at her and narrowed his eyes. "Just how much food did you bring, Shizune?"

"A full course. And you are going to eat every bite," she said, smirking at him with dark, threatening eyes.

"Hm…" said Kakashi, humming at her and narrowing his eyes doubtfully.

He moved the papers out of the way to make room for the food.

She moved to place the first dish in front of him, and opened it to reveal miso soup with eggplant. She smiled at him warmly. "I hope its done the way you like it," she said.

He looked up at her surprised. "How did you—" he started, too baffled to finish the sentence. _This is one of my favorite dishes_ , he thought.

"Ah, why don't I lay out the other dishes, and then we can talk, okay," she said, winking at him.

She placed the second plate on the table and opened it, revealing broiled saury with salt.

He stared at her in wide eyed astonishment. _Another favorite dish_ , he thought. _How did she figure all of this out?_

She beamed at him, and placed a bowl of rice on the table in front of him, a cup of tea, and various other items needed for the meal.

"Shizune, why did you…you didn't have to…" he couldn't form sentences, and he was starting to get frustrated.

"But I wanted to, and I knew that this would be good for you. You've been working too hard, and it's not good for your health. You need to take a little time to relax, even if it's just to sit down an eat a full meal, and chat with friends," said Shizune, motioning to the food.

"I…but, how did you know about…all of this," he said, looking down at the food. He had to admit, his mouth was starting to water at the food in front of him.

Shizune paused, remembering a conversation she had with Lady Tsunade and Sakura.

—-

"If I'm remembering correctly, those are all his favorites," said Sakura, finishing writing everything down for Shizune.

"But why do you ask, Shizune," said Lady Tsunade, giving her a knowing look.

"He isn't taking care of himself, Lady Tsunade. He isn't eating properly, and isn't taking breaks, sleeping a normal schedule, or even taking time to relax," said Shizune, looked at both women in exasperation. "I'm going to try and force him to eat a meal. Just one meal."

"Are you going to stay and eat it with him," asked Lady Tsunade, a small smile forming on her lips. "I think you should." She glanced at Sakura, whose eyes widened slightly. Then Sakura said, "I agree. To make sure he eats all of it."

"Well I…" said Shizune, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Come now, Shizune," said Lady Tsunade, her smile growing. "You can't put all this work into making sure he's doing what he needs to do to be healthy and not make sure he's following through."

"I'm sure he would appreciate your company, as well," said Sakura, biting her bottom lip. Lady Tsunade glanced at her quickly with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I suppose I'll offer to…" started Shizune, but she trailed off. Visions of candle-lit dinners with Kakashi filled her mind…toasting of sake by the seaside…chocolate strawberries by fireside…

She blushed harder. _No..NO_ , she thought, biting her lip. _He doesn't even think about me that way…why would he ever…what a fool I am being…_

"Shizune," said Lady Tsunade, grinning widely.

"Hmm? Oh…yes…well…I'll ask him. Sure," she said, furrowing her brow. Sakura and Lady Tsunade glanced at one another excitedly.

—

She waved a hand dismissively and said, "oh, that's not important. What is important is that you eat. Go ahead, dig in."

He looked up at her then down at the food and grabbed his pair of chopsticks. Then he paused, and looked up at her again. "But, what about you?"

"Ah, I'm joining you, of course," she said, grinning and turning back toward the cart. She pulled out a bento box and sat in a chair in front of his desk. She looked up at him expectingly.

"Alright," he said, his tone much more warm. "Let's dig in, I guess."

She smiled warmly at him and opened the top of her bento box.

—

Suddenly, the Hokage busted out in loud laugher, followed by breathy laughs coming from Shizune as she spoke loudly but her words were muffled. The Hokage said something loudly, but it too was muffled, and Shizune followed with shrill laughter.

Two chunin who were passing by the office carrying large stacks of books gasped in surprise at the female's laugh. One of them dropped their stack of books, earning an angry lecture from his companion.

The two Anbu black ops who were stationed at the door of the Hokage's Office looked at one another briefly before turning back to face the hall.

—

"Shizune," said the Hokage, wiping a small tear from his eye, gasping for air as he was fighting off fits of laughter. "It's been a long time since someone has made me laugh like that."

"Same here, my Lord," said Shizune, fits of giggles still washing of her.

Kakashi watched her for a moment as she continued to chuckle into her hand, then she turned to her right to look out the window into the village. He watched her gaze out into the village for a moment with a small smile planted onto her face before she turned to him. Her smile faded ever so slightly upon realization that she was being watched, and she immediately looked as if she were uncomfortable. He looked away quickly and then looked down at his plates, jaw clenching slightly.

"Well, I'm, um…I'm done eating. How about you," he asked, not looking up at her.

"Yes, I'm done," she said rather quietly. He stiffened at this, but tried to ignore the discomfort that he was feeling…that strange nervousness and anxiety was creeping back over him again…

"Well…" he started, but hesitated, rubbing the hair on the back of his head. He didn't think it would be right to dismiss her. She was here as his friend — on a social visit. And to be honest, he didn't really want her to leave…

"It's nice outside," said Shizune, still looking out the window.

"Erm, yes," said Kakashi. He glanced side to side in frustration, but then realizing where she was going with her statement he said, "would you like to—"

"Yes," she said simply, turning to look at him with a small smile.

—

Kakashi opened the door to the balcony and let Shizune walk out first.

She walked out and leaned on the rail, looking out into the village and planting a small smile on her face. The autumn wind blew through her hair and she moved a hand up to the side of her head to stop it from messing up her hair too much.

He watched her as he closed the door behind himself and moved to stand beside her. She turned to look at him and smiled warmly.

"It's beautiful tonight. Albeit a little chilly," she said, crossing her arms.

He nodded, but said nothing.

"The streetlights in the southern district have all been restored. Have you noticed yet," she said, pointing with a hand still tucked close to her chest.

"Yes. Naruto did a good job coordinating that," said Kakashi, eyes crinkling again as he smiled proudly.

"He has improved so much. He's almost ready. He made jounin quickly, though no one was really surprised by that. But he has learned so much about leading the village in such a short amount of time," said Shizune.

"Yes, but many of the village advisers do not think he is ready yet. And…" Kakashi leaned more onto the balcony and sighed as he looked out into the village and said, "neither do I think he's ready. He still has much to learn. I plan to send him on more jounin level missions soon — and he will spend more time with Shikamaru and the Union. I also think he needs more time in the field leading squads."

"Well, he had no trouble coordinating that large team to get the district lighting fixed. Maybe he will do just as well on a few low rank missions with genin to train," said Shizune, smiling and shrugging.

"Hmm…I have my doubts," said Kakashi with a chuckle.

"I'm just trying to be a little optimistic, Kakashi. You and I both know Naruto can do surprising things," said Shizune with a chuckle.

Kakashi perked up and grinned. He glanced sideways at Shizune and said slyly, "uh, Shizune. You called me Kakashi…"

Shizune's eyes widened and she blushed as she covered her mouth with a hand. She glanced at him nervously.

"It's alright, Shizune," he said warmly, eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled. "I want you to be more comfortable around me. Please."

She watched him for a moment, then lowered her hand to reveal a small smile on her lips.

"Oh…alright, but only when we're in private," she said, turning back to look at the village. Her blush hadn't faded yet.

Kakashi leaned onto the rail and looked out at the city. But Shizune couldn't help but notice that he had moved considerably closer to her. She tried to ignore it.

"Are you anticipating that we will have many moments in private together," said Kakashi lowly, smirking under his mask.

Shizune's eyes widened and she glanced sideways at him. Her face reddened even more.

"I…what I meant was…" she said, brow furrowing in frustration.

"I know what you meant," said Kakashi with a chuckle. "I was just teasing you, Shizune. I apologize."

"No need to apologize. But you just…caught me off guard with your statement. It was…" she started, but hesitated to find the right words.

"…it was," he asked, turning to look at her.

"Unexpected," said Shizune. She shivered as a gust of wind blew across the deck.

"Unexpected," repeated Kakashi, smirk widening.

Shizune nodded.

Kakashi hummed in thought, but said nothing else.

Then, suddenly, Shizune felt something being draped over her shoulders and arms. She glanced down and saw the white Hokage coat and felt the warmth from it being worn by someone just previously. She looked at Kakashi, who was back to leaning on the rail and looking out into the village.

"Wha…what's this for," she said quietly, brow raising.

"It's chilly, and you're shivering. I don't need it to stay warm. And you can give it back when we go inside. But for now, please wear it and keep warm," he said.

Surprise turned to genuine happiness as a smile grew on her lips. She thanked him, and he felt a warmness fill his whole body as she smiled and moved to stand right next to him, her body touching his ever so slightly.

After a few moments, she leaned her head onto his shoulder and said quietly, "I'm glad you agreed to dinner."

His eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected closeness, but he smiled warmly and said just as quietly, "so am I."


	4. 4: Reports

A/N: thank you to my readers who waited patiently for this story to be rewritten. I'm uploading this and each chapter will be updated — so please re-read as this is posted!

—-

"Shikamaru, before we leave…another report came in from Police Chief Hiroki," said Temari, standing with her arms crossed as she leisurely leaned on the door frame of their hotel suite bedroom. Shikamaru was busy folding various articles of clothing and packing everything tightly into his travel pack.

Shikamaru looked up at her briefly with a raised eyebrow - an indication that she should continue - before turning back to his task.

"The police force is getting reports from the citizens that Goro's employees are exhibiting 'strange behavior.' Loved ones of the employees are reporting that they are seeing these employees either exhibit 'violent tendencies that are unlike their character,' or even mention things that sound like a 'deep worship of Goro.' What do you think this could be," said Temari.

Shikamaru sat down on the corner of the bed and rubbed the bottom of his chin in contemplation. "Hm. I've got a few theories. Genjutsu maybe? Or more likely, something related to those food pills Goro gives out," said Shikamaru, brow furrowing.

"I had a feeling you might say that. Do you think there's some sort of chemical in the food pills that could be causing this," said Temari.

"Most likely, but we won't know unless we get one of those food pills and test them," said Shikamaru.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and Shikamaru peered toward it beyond Temari with a look of alarm.

"Who knows—" he began, looking up at Temari with a note of panic in his voice. He started looking around the room quickly, trying to figure out where he could hide if one of the Shinobi Union delegates had come calling.

"Relax, it's just Kankuro. And there is no need to hide, he's knows that we are here…together," she added, blushing slightly and not looking him in the eye.

She turned to walk toward the door and peered out the eye hole before unlocking the door. She opened it, and let Kankuro in, who immediately covered his eyes and said, "Tell me if it's safe to look. I don't want to walk in on you two doing it or anything."

Temari punched him hard in the shoulder and scowled, to which he responded with a hiss in protest and said, "Ow! Hey, I'm just trying to protect my eyes from being blinded by…ugh, you two together! You can't get upset at me for that!" That earned him another punch, which he dodged.

He turned to Shikamaru, who was watching the scene with a scowl of annoyance. Kankuro gave him a small wave an grin before walking in and collapsing on the couch. Temari took the chair opposite of him, sat down more gracefully and said, "Why are you here, Kankuro? I thought we were meeting downstairs in an hour?"

"Just wanted to let you both know that some of the team has already arrived in Konoha. Chouji, Karui, Kurotsuchi, and several of the Konoha Shinobi have returned from missions. We are still waiting for Chojuro, who is about a day away according to messengers."

Both Temari and Shikamaru nodded in affirmation.

"Also, we received our last report from the Police Chief before they will begin forwarding all reports to Konoha until we arrive. He says that there is now conflict between the Masanori clan and the Dokusuto clan. He will likely need our assistance when we arrive. But did not list any specifics."

"Oh, swell," said Shikamaru, a look of dread apparent on his face. Temari smirked at him.

"Anyway, that's about it," said Kankuro, stretching his hands over his head and squeezing his eyes shut in exhaustion. He peered one eye open, grinned and said, "Oh, and also, I just wanted to check on you guys. I didn't want you guys to cause us to be late leaving again because you two were—" but before he could finish, Temari covered his face with one of the decorative couch pillows.


	5. 5: Extremely Happy

A/N: Just FYI — no changes made to this chapter...

—

After checking out of the hotel and witnessing more banter between the two Sand Siblings, Shikamaru was ready to get on the road and get back home to Konoha. They would only spend a night in Konoha before heading to Amegakure, but he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed again and seeing his friends.

The walk through the snowy hills and forests of the Land of Iron always felt as if it took longer than it should, and the winds were always so brutal he could have sworn they were trying to take a person's breath away.

By nightfall, they had reached the edge of the Land of Fire and had escaped most of the snow. The three decided that they would make camp for the night and start again in the morning at full speed, making it to Konoha by late afternoon.

Two tents were erected and a fire was made. The three shared a warm pot of military ration instant soup, and discussed strategy for the upcoming mission.

"I think I'm going to hit the hay," said Temari, yawning. "We've got an early start tomorrow, boys. And we probably need to enjoy this this time to sleep while we've got it."

"Yeah, I'll go to bed in a minute," said Kankuro.

"Don't stay up too late," said Temari, frowning at him.

"Yeah, alright, Mom, I'll go to bed in a minute" said Kankuro with a tone of annoyance but a smirk in Shikamaru's direction. Shikamaru bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from smiling. Temari scowled at both of them before walking into her tent and closing the flap with a snap.

There was silence between the two men for a while. Both men stared at the fire, lost in thought.

"You know…I'm glad she's with you," said Kankuro, smiling slightly, still looking at the fire.

"Huh," said Shikamaru, looking at him in surprise.

"My sister. I'm glad she's with you," said Kankuro, now looking at him.

"Yeah, I figured that part out. But why," said Shikamaru eyebrow raised.

"You should have seen some of the other idiots who have tried to snag her over the years. I'll give her credit — there were plenty of times when she was much nicer than she should've been when she turned them down. I suspect she was as nice as she was because she was the daughter of the Kazekage or the sister of the Kazekage…whatever it was at the time. But, there were some unfortunate souls who got full on rejected by her and…man, that was hilarious. She sent them flying. Literally," said Kankuro, chuckling to himself.

Shikamaru chuckled nervously but paled slightly at the thought of Temari sending a poor guy flying just for asking her out.

"But, for some strange reason…my sister is attracted to you. When you finally—" he said this last word with exaggerated exhaustion, "made a move on her, she didn't turn you down. I remember when she came back and told us. Gaara said, 'Finally…took him long enough. I was wondering if I was going to have to threaten him with a sand coffin.'"

Shikamaru gulped uncomfortably.

"I remember when she was an ambassador for Suna, before the war, and when she traveled to Konoha frequently. She always seemed happier after returning from Konoha and spending time with you. You should have seen the way she seemed to perk up a little when she knew the time was coming when she would return to Konoha and would see you."

Shikamaru smiled a little at that. He didn't say it, but he inwardly admitted to himself that he always looked forward to it as well.

"What I am trying to say is, you're not an idiot, and you make my sister happy. So, thank you," said Kankuro, grinning.

Shikamaru smiled in appreciation, and nodded his head slightly and said, "she's troublesome most of the time, but she makes me equally happy. I don't know what I would do without her at this point."

"Aw, look at you, getting all sentimental," said Kankuro, punching Shikamaru in the arm lightly, who blushed slightly.

"But, Shikamaru—" Kankuro looked at him with hard, piercing eyes, "if you hurt my sister or make her unhappy, you know you'll have me to deal with," he said, attempting to shadow over the other man and look as intimidating as possible. "And let's not forget Gaara…"

Shikamaru paled, shrinking slightly with every word Kankuro said. "Okay, okay, I get it. Don't hurt your sister, geez…" said Shikamaru, sweating slightly and holding his hands up in defense.

"Good. So long as we are clear," said Kankuro, settling back into his seat, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Anyway, if the intimidation session is over, I think I'm going to go ahead and go to bed before your mom gets on my case," said Shikamaru, smirking, and beginning to rise to walk toward his shared tent with Temari.

Kankuro chuckled and waved his hand in Shikamaru's direction in dismissal.

Shikamaru walked into the tent, closing the flap behind himself as tight as it would go. When he turned to look at Temari, he smiled.

She was fast asleep breathing softly and laying on her stomach.

He got dressed for bed, and crawled as slowly and as gently as he could into the small cot they shared. Temari stirred slightly, moaning in protest at the burst of cold air on her back as he lifted their shared blanket to crawl underneath.

He leaned on his elbow and looked down at her for a moment, and smiled again. He leaned down and kissed an exposed section of her neck, which caused her to let out a sigh of contentment.

He laid his head down on his pillow and laid a hand over her waist. He gently pulled her closer to himself, and she obliged, shuffling as close to him and his warmth as possible.

He closed his eyes, smiled again, and thought, _yeah, extremely happy._


	6. 6: Partners

The villages of Konohagakure and Kumogakure worked hard to solidify their bond and made many efforts to increase trade between the two lands as well as surrounding lands. An ambassador from each village was assigned and encouraged to work together as partners to accomplish these tasks.

Chouji Akimichi was chosen for the role of Ambassador representing Konoha in Kumo. The Akimichi clan was well known for their shrewd business dealings — and where known for having secured some of the most valuable trade deals on food and supplies for their home village of Konoha. The heir to the Akimichi clan was no exception to this standard — while serving both Konoha and Kumo alongside his partner, he had so far secured a number of very lucrative deals for the villages that had helped them get back on their feet and support their villagers. His partner was also known for her shrewdness in business dealings — albeit, her methods were very different from Chouji's. In the end, they found that their methods complimented each other very well, and they were able to form a solid team that further solidified the newly-formed bond between their two villages.

Chouji stood in the hall of the Raikage Tower outside of his partner's office waiting. He looked through the large glass windows of the Tower at the village below and watched the villagers who looked as small as ants as they moved about the streets doing their daily tasks. He smiled to himself as he imagined what each person was doing - a mother walking with her two children to go get groceries; an old man walking his dog; a young couple walking hand-in-hand out getting lunch. He was glad to see movement among the village as commerce picked up again. New products and familiar, but until recently absent products were now restocked and on sale at markets. Villagers were able to find food, clothing and other items needed for their families. And with this increase in commerce came the increase in available jobs, which was a relief for many.

A door behind him opened abruptly, and his partner walked out into the hallway and shut the door with a snap. The sound echoed down the long, empty hallway, lined with more windows.

She looked at Chouji, smiled widely, and walked over to him quickly.

"Hi, Karui," he said, with a friendly smile in greeting.

"Hi, Chouji. If you don't mind, I was thinking we could take our usual meeting at an area I like by the river, with lunch? There's this great take-out place by the riverside that I think you might like." She looked at him with glimmering eyes, smiling hopefully.

Chouji looked to the left nervously, avoiding eye contact. "Well, I'm…uh…not really hungry, to be honest...but I wouldn't mind a change of scenery. Meeting outside would be nice. It's a beautiful day!"

 _She has such beautiful eyes…_ thought Chouji. _And when the sun hits them just right, they glow like freshly polished gold medallions…_

She looked at him questioningly, shrugged and said "well, maybe you will change your mind when we get to the restaurant. Are you ready to go?"

Chouji gave her a doubtful smile, but nodded.

They walked side by side, about a foot apart, and left the building to enter the village.

They entered the street and started walking down the main road toward the riverfront shops. The many buildings and small roads of the village sat in tiered levels stacked up in a spiral toward the Raikage Tower, which sat in the middle of the village. As they walked, they were heading downhill and buildings on their left tiered upward while buildings on their right tiered downward. The river could be seen below.

"Oh, right, Chouji, you asked me the other day about where to find the local flower shop. That's it right there," said Karui as she moved close to him quickly, grabbing his sleeve and pointing in the direction of the shop on the left.

He blushed slightly at her nearness, and responded a bit hoarsely, "Oh, uh, cool. Ino asked me to pick up some sort of rare flower for her."

"Well maybe we can go look for it together, later," responded Karui with a bright smile, still holding onto him.

"Th-that'd be great!" said Chouji who returned the smile as his face continued to redden.

She backed off of him, apparently oblivious to what she was doing to him. She tapped her chin in contemplation, then said, "so, you've told me a little about Ino before and your family history. Who is that guy she's dating? Sai? I haven't met him yet."

"Sai's a pretty nice guy. Seems to treat her well," said Chouji with a slight smile.

"That's good. Sai…that name sounds familiar…" Then her eyes suddenly widened in recognition as she said "OH! Sakura told me something about him!" She turned to Chouji and smirked. "Does he have a creepy smile and say things that tend to rub people the wrong way," Karui said with a chuckle.

Chouji laughed at this, and nodded. "He has some…um, personality issues that he's been dealing with. It's a little difficult to explain. Sakura or even Ino would be the better person to explain it to you. Though, you need to be careful about the way you ask Ino about it," he said with a grin.

"Right, right," said Karui as she closed her eyes in mock irritation and waved her hand dismissively.

"KARUI!"

They both turned to see who shouted her name, and Karui let out an excited gasp.

"Emeri!" She shouted as she turned and ran toward the young woman, arms outstretched.

"When did you get back into town," Karui asked the young woman with blond hair and blue eyes.

Emeri smiled and responded with "the day before yesterday. I needed to return early for a medical examination."

"Medical examination? Is everything alright," asked Karui with a concerned tone.

"Yes, yes, I'm just pregnant," Emeri replied with a warm smile and a dismissive wave of her hands.

"You're…you're WHAT," Karui squealed with excitement.

"Yes, I'm pregnant," Emeri repeated, grinning widely.

Karui screamed with excitement and hugged her friend tightly, offering words of congratulations.

"So Karui, who is this," Said Emeri, peering beyond her friend with a quizzical look on her face.

She looked Chouji up and down as he observed the scene from a distance, softly smiling in the direction of Karui with a look that appeared to be a cross between amusement and admiration.

"Oh, yes. This is Chouji Akimichi, the Ambassador from Konohagakure" she said to Emeri. "Chouji, this is Emeri. She was my best friend growing up. She lived in the house next to me, and we attended the academy together."

"Oooh, so THIS is Chouji…" Emeri said with a smirk and a knowing look in Karui's direction.

Karui's eyes widened as she turned red. She then looked at Emeri with a look of annoyance.

Chouji's eyebrow raised in question as he looked at Karui, who seemed to be trying very hard to avoid his eye contact.

Emeri leaned in and whispered to Karui in a tone that was still semi-audible to Chouji, "so this is the guy you were telling us about that one night? The 'cute one' that-" and Karui punched her firmly in the arm and interrupted her with a hiss while blushing deeply.

Emeri laughed loudly, and waved her hands at Karui in defeat.

Emeri outstretched her hand toward Chouji and said, "It's nice to finally meet you, Chouji. I've heard nothing but good things about you and the work you've done for our village alongside Karui."

Chouji turned in her direction and smiled with a mildly confused look on his face, and shook her hand. "Yes, it is nice to meet you, too, Emeri. And, it's my pleasure, It's fulfilling work and I've enjoyed every minute of it," he said, chuckling and blushing slightly as he scratched the back of his head with the other hand.

"Man, he really is cute when he acts all bashful, Karui! Well, I need to run. I've got a few errands before I meet with my Captain later. I hope I see you both again soon!" said Emeri, winking at Karui before quickly walking the opposite direction.

Karui stared in her direction with her mouth gaping open, face fully red. She looked like she wanted to run after her and punch her again.

Chouji waved awkwardly in her direction, but was staring at Karui with wide eyes.

She turned to look at him briefly, then quickly turned away, biting her bottom lip in embarrassment.

Before he could say anything, she quickly turned around and continue down the path toward the river.

Staring after her for just a second, totally at a loss of what to do, Chouji decided to run after her to catch up with her and eventually fell back into stride next to her.

There was a moment of silence before Chouji broke it with a silent chuckle and said, "Sooo…" and before he could finish his sentence, Karui interrupted him with a loud sigh, saying "Yeah, I have no idea what that was about…" all the while avoiding his eye contact and still blushing hard. He grinned to himself, and dropped the subject, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable. _But…did I hear that correctly? Karui thinks I'm…cute?_ Chouji thought to himself as his grin widened. _Perhaps I will bring this up again later…_

After having some time to recover, Karui cleared her throat to ease the tension and then asked "Last time I was in Konoha, Shikamaru mentioned that the Akimichi Clan had large training grounds within the compound. Is that correct?"

"Yes. It's mostly a rocky, barren area that doesn't have many trees or vegetation. But it is a large space," Chouji responded, curious about the sudden change of subject.

"Next time that I come to visit Konoha, can we train there? We could use an open space because I was thinking…uh…" She hesitated, looking away, then looking back with renewed confidence, "I was thinking that we could work on creating a move or two together. You heard the Raikage mention the other day that he wanted Konoha and Kumo to form a solid partnership, a n inter-village team. We thankfully haven't encountered any combat yet, but I think it would be wise for us to learn some moves that we can synchronize together. Don't you agree?"

Chouji smiled at her warmly and said, "I do agree. I think that would be a great idea!"

"Great!" said Karui, returning the smile.

"But…you know…if you do that…you'll have to come to my house and likely meet my parents," whispered Chouji, peering at her from the corner of his eye, grinning slightly.

"I'm fully aware of that, Chouji," Karui said as she blushed, rolled her eyes and grinned. Chouji responded with a nervous chuckle.

They walked past a grocery store, which she pointed out to him as the best place to get beef because they "always have the best cuts." Chouji told her about his favorite place in Konoha to pick up beef, and she asked him to take her there when she visited Konoha next time.

During the rest of the walk, they continued to talk about incidental things. Karui told him things about the village, and he shared things about his village and their similarities and differences. She shared things about her personal history and friends, and introduced him to more of her friends as they passed by - much to his delight and embarrassment. He shared things about his family and friends as well, and even updated her on what was happening with certain relationships between their mutual friends. She giggled at Shikamaru and Temari's failing attempts to hide their relationship from people. "Do they not realize how obvious they are?" she said with a laugh. "I picked up on the fact that they were in a relationship the first time I met them. Remember? I asked you if they were together." He laughed as well and said "Yeah, I remember. And, no, they probably do not realize it. But, they're both too stubborn to admit that something is going on to people because it would mean that everyone was right all along - that something was going on between them. I think it would make them both feel like they were admitting defeat or something." They both laughed hard at this, leaning into each other for support.

When they reached the restaurant, she grabbed him and pulled him inside by the arm exclaiming "Oh! Here it is!"

He blushed profusely at this sudden contact from her.

She pulled menus from the rack by the door for each of them and said "Order whatever you want, it's my treat!"

He looked down at the menu, and read off different menu items in his head, trying to decide which thing sounded the best.

But nothing sounded particularly appetizing, and he really wasn't very hungry.

He found himself continuously getting distracted by her backside swaying back and forth as she leaned on the counter in front of him looking over her menu. He couldn't keep his eyes on the menu for more then a few seconds before they would pop back up and watch.

"See anything you like, Chouji?"

 _Boy, do I,_ he thought, inwardly snickering.

"Like I said, the BBQ is good," said Karui, still turned around.

The trance was broken as Chouji's face reddened and his eyes widened in panic. What was he doing, standing there watching her like some pervert. He needed to pick out his lunch, and he needed to do it fast. He shook his head slightly, trying to come back to reality and pick something on the menu.

 _But, I'm just not hungry…_ he thought, biting his bottom lip, looking hard at the menu but still picturing the swaying…

"Chouji," she said, turning in his direction, leaning on the counter and looking at him with one eyebrow raised. "Yo, earth to Chouji? Lunch? Anything look good?"

He laughed nervously as his face continued to redden. He looked up at her and said with a half smile "I-I don't want anything, really. I-I'm not hungry."

She looked at him doubtfully, and said "but it's lunch time. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

He nodded his head for emphasis and said "Yeah, I'm sure. The food looks great, but I'm just not hungry right now."

She gave him a smirk, then responded with a doubt-filled "Hm, alright, then. If you say so," and went up to the counter to order food.

Little did Chouji know, she ordered double of everything - enough food for two people.

The ding of the food bell sounded indicating that their food was ready, and Karui called Chouji over asking him for help with carrying the bags of food.

"Why are there so many bags of food?" asked Chouji, genuinely surprised.

"I like to eat a lot. Got a problem with that?" she said with mock anger.

His eyes widened in fear as he apologized repeatedly and said "NO! Not at all!"

However, as he did this she walked ahead of him with false anger present in her stride, leading the way to the spot by the river.

Following behind her, he found himself looking up and down at her figure and he thought, _I can't imagine that she's eats a lot all the time - she must have a high metabolism if she does...I can't tell where she's putting all of it! Her figure is..._ and suddenly she turned to look at him and asked if the spot by the river that she's chosen is okay and he says "...Perfect." with a satisfied tone, staring at the lower part of her body with a hazy look in his eyes. Realizing what he's said and done, his head snapped up and he looked her in the eyes lightning fast, fixing a friendly smile on his face, though he can feel a little heat rising to his cheeks. He follows up nervously with "U-um, yeah, it's perfect. Great spot." She smiled, seemingly oblivious, and they set up their food and used his jacket for a picnic blanket.

She opened the food, and started to eat. Trying to focus on the task at hand - the meeting they were scheduled to have and the items they needed to discuss - he tried desperately to forget about the embarrassing things he just did. He talked about chunnin exam preparations and working on setting up a proctor roster. This was a new task they had been given since the exams were being held in Kumo this year. She made comments as he spoke, and mentioned names or stopped to jot down a few notes on a notepad she pulled from her pouch.

Suddenly, she pushed a container of pork BBQ into his hands. She smiled at him, and said, "Chouji, tthis is yours. Just try it, ok? I'll likely have some extra and I hate having food go to waste - help me eat this food, Chouji. Please?" She continued to push the container in his hands, smirking slightly, but batting her eyelashes and giving him mock puppy dog eyes.

He laughed, blushing at her words. "Well, if you put it that way...I'll help you out, I suppose." He inwardly groaned at how easily she managed to manipulate him, noting how dangerous her use of the word "please" could be for him in the future.

She grinned at him as he took the container from her. She reached over and opened the container for him, and steam released from the container and blew in the wind toward his direction. The smell reached his nostrils and he thought, _alright, that does smell delicious. I've got to have at least one bite of this._ He took a pair of chopsticks, and ate a bite.

His eyes widened in amazement, then closed in ecstasy.

She gave him a smirk that fully showed that she was fully aware of her victory, and asked him, "Well, what do you think?"

He turned to look at her with that same expression before recovering with a excited smile and saying "Oh, it's delicious! I think it's probably the best BBQ I've ever had!"

She beamed at him.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came down the river side an attempted to blow away some of their empty containers and napkins. They both moved to grab the trash and in their scramble to grab a napkin just before it could fly away, they accidentally set their hands on top of each other in the process.

They both looked up at one another with wide eyes and Chouji realized that this was the first time he had ever been this close to her face before. _She has speckles of dark brown in her eyes, and when she blushes her eyes seem to go from their usual light honey color to a dark amber color…wait…she's blushing! She is so cute when she blushes!_

Before he could do anything or say anything, she smiled, lowered her eyes, and pulled back from at him, and appeared to be looked everywhere but at him as she continued to clean up the mess.

The wind blew again, but softer this time, and he saw her turn her face toward it. He watched her hair blow back slightly, and watched pieces of it fly around her face lazily.

 _She's...so beautiful…_ he thought yet again as she moved to tuck the loose pieces of hair behind her ears.

His brow furrowed slightly as he thought, _I wish I could've done that…_

She turned back to him and looked at him funny, and he realizes he was looking at her for longer than he should have and had his mouth open. So, he looked away, at the water, hardening his expression to a straight, blank face, but blushed slightly.

He didn't see her looking at him and giving him a small smile. She started to reach for his hand, and began to say "Hey, Chouji, I've wanted to tell you this for a while—" but was interrupted, and she abruptly pulled her hand away.

Chouji, who was still looking hard in the direction of the water, suddenly saw a shadow on the water and looked up. Interrupted by this, Karui followed his eyes and they both saw a hawk flying overhead, heading to the Raikage Tower. They both instantly recognized it as the hawk from the Shinobi Union, and knew that something important was happening.

Chouji glanced at her, and she raised her eyebrow at him. Without saying anything, they both moved to pack up their picnic and headed back to the Raikage Tower.


	7. 7: Dinner Tonight?

As they entered the hallway that lead to the Raikage's Office, Chouji slowed down to let Karui take the lead. Though, they dropped this practice shortly after meeting one another, it was custom for the Ambassador of a foreign village to fall behind or follow the guide of the village they were visiting. While the Ambassador was considered an honored guest, the shinobi of the resident village outranked the Ambassador at all times.

When they reached the Raikage's Office, she knocked on the door, noting the fresh glass on the floor. Someone had obviously dropped it while hurrying out of the Raikage's Office after he had smashed another window again. _What did Lord Bee do this time_ , thought Karui as she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, come in," said a quiet female voice with a tone of annoyance.

Karui opened the door to reveal the Raikage sitting at his desk staring at a scroll in deep concentration, and his assistant, Mabui, leaning over the table pointing at something on the scroll.

Mabui turned to Karui and Chouji, obviously annoyed with the interruption, but when she realized who they were she smiled in relief. "Ah, great. It's you two. You saved me the trouble of having to find you both."

"Come in and sit down, you two," said the Raikage without looking up, pointing in the direction of the two chairs near his desk.

Mabui turned back to the Raikage and continued to point to particular things on the scroll, muttering this and that about "policy" and "expenses" and "details." The Raikage would occasionally nod in understanding, or furrow his brow in negation to whatever she said, but never said a word, which was surprising. _Whatever is in that scroll is either really, really, good news or really, really bad news and the pot is beginning to boil_ , thought Karui, starting to tense with fear. She had no desire to be in the office any longer than necessary.

"Karui," said Mabui abruptly, which shocked Karui out of her thoughts. "Your ambassador duties are being put on hold temporarily for a mission." She turned to Chouji and said, "same with you, Lord Akimichi." Karui's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. _Lord Akimichi…my foot. Yeah, right…_ she thought as she inwardly smirked.

"You will both serve on a mission for the Shinobi Union. Amegakure has been experiencing civil war due to unstable leadership. You'll work with a team of shinobi and the local Police Force to protect civilians and coordinate negotiations among the three clans fighting for leadership over the village. The Police Force is attempting to have all three clans form a joint leadership, but only two out of the three clans have agreed to this. Negotiating with the third clan has proved to be difficult, so the Union's job will be to advise the Police Force on the best way to handle the negotiations and potentially serve as a proxy on their behalf when conditions are unsafe."

"'When conditions are unsafe,'" said Karui with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. The Police Force isn't made up of shinobi. It's made up of civilians. The third clan has proved to be too dangerous for them to handle partially because of their ninjutsu and partially because of the sheer number of individuals that fight for them. They have already lost many officers due to failed negotiations."

Karui looked at Chouji wearily, who returned her look with a skeptical frown.

"You must both head to Konoha immediately. You will leave tomorrow to rendezvous in Konoha with the others on your team and to finalize your mission plan with your team leaders who will be Shikamaru Nara and Temari of Sunakagure." Mabui handed each of them a sealed scroll with their mission details, and several other papers. "Your clearance papers have already been filled out and signed, Karui, so you are good to go. Chouji, you just need to get that document—" she reached with a manicured finger to touch a form he was holding, "stamped downstairs, then you are good to go. You're both dismissed."

Karui looked to the Raikage in question, who only nodded with a small smile and turned back to the scroll he had been studying the whole time.

As they walked out of the office and down the hallway, they both looked through the documents in their hands in silence. As they neared the elevator, Karui reached to press the button to call it and caught Chouji's eye. Chouji smiled at her, then laughed softly looking down at the ground. Karui peered past him, and noticed the sun beginning to set behind him.

And then it hit her. The day had sped by, but she didn't finish what she was going to say earlier. However, as she looked around and took in her surroundings she realized now was probably not the best time nor the place to discuss it.

She looked down at the ground, resolutely deciding not to look him in the eye when she asked this next question. "Hey…Chouji," she said, a little quieter than she had intended.

"Hmm," he said in acknowledgment.

She hesitated. _What the hell is wrong with me? I have way more confidence than this_ , she thought. _Get it together, Karui. Make your move._

She bit the inside of her cheek in frustration and looked up at him. She gave him a trademark Karui-smirk, and said in her lowest, most sexy voice, "want to have dinner at my place tonight, 'Lord Akimichi?'" _Yeah, there we go. Nailed it,_ she thought, inwardly high-fiving herself. She made sure to over-emphasize "Lord Akimichi" to tease him for Mabui's comment earlier.

He looked at her for a moment, completely still and eyes wide. _Did I break him_ , she thought, amused.

Then suddenly, he did something that surprised her. She had expected him to blush or get nervous and bashful. Instead, he smirked and seemed to look at her more directly in the eye, and he said in a surprisingly confident voice, "sure, Karui, that would be great. What time should I come over?"

Instantly taken aback, her eyes widen slightly before she recovered with, "7:30 is fine," in her normal, Karui voice, much to her displeasure. She bit the inside of her cheek again, but this time in annoyance.

He smiled normally at her, but held her eye contact while he lowered his eye lids slightly and said "Alright, 7:30, then." She stared into his eyes a moment longer and silently noted that his pupils seemed to be growing larger, which surprised her.

The elevator door opened, and Omoi stepped out, staring between the two who hadn't looked away from each other yet.

"Oi, you two, get a room already. The tension is so thick I'd probably have a hard time cutting through it," he said, chuckling and pointing between the two.

Karui turned to look at him and scowled. She reached and pulled him out of the elevator in anger and shouted "you have a hard time cutting through anything, you dullard. Now get the hell out of the way." She pulled Chouji in with her, who stumbled roughly against the back wall of the elevator. She quickly started pressing buttons and before Omoi could shout a retort for her earlier comment she shouted "piss off," as the doors closed.

When the elevator arrived at the floor Chouji was meant to get off on, Karui had cooled down slightly and looked at him with an exasperated smile. He grinned and said "see you tonight," before walking off the elevator. "See you," she replied, before the elevator closed rather abruptly.

She sighed and leaned back up against the wall of the elevator.

 _I've got a lot to do between now and then_ , she thought, mentally going through a checklist of all of the tasks. _What was she going to wear? What would she make for dinner? Dessert? She hoped that she liked her cooking. What would they do after dinner?_

And then suddenly it hit her, and her eyes widened with panic. "After dinner, what would we…Oh sh—" she started to talk out loud to herself, but the elevator door began to open.


	8. 8: Dinner at Karui's

Chouji stood outside the small home and hesitated to ring the doorbell, too nervous to go through with whatever he feared would or would not happen tonight.

 _If Shikamaru were here, he would tell me to man up and just get this over with_ , he thought with a smile. _Or, he would tell me women are troublesome and to run away while I still had the chance,_ he thought as he frowned. However, he was mildly convinced that the ladder was something the young, 13 year old Shikamaru would think. Older, more mature and more responsible Shikamaru would likely go with the first bit of advice, given his own experience with women… _well…a woman._

He bit his lower lip, closed his eyes, and rang the doorbell. He heard loud rustling behind the door before the door opened quickly, revealing a very flushed Karui.

He beamed at her, and she beamed back, batting her eyelashes at him in a way that made him feel a little dizzy.

"Hi, Chouji! Come in and make yourself at home." He stepped inside, and she shut the door behind him and started to walk down a narrow hall toward what appeared to be the kitchen. "Dinner is just about ready. You can leave your shoes over by the door."

Chouji bent over to remove his shoes and exhaled rather loudly, not having realized that he had been holding his breath the entire time she spoke.

 _Come on, Chouji. Get it together, man. It's just dinner. Ignore the fact that she looked beautiful with her hair tied up in a bun like that with her high neck exposed—STOP IT. STOP_ , he thought, mentally punching himself in the gut.

He walked down the hall to the kitchen and saw her checking the temperature of a chicken with a meat thermometer. He looked around, noticing plate after plate of side dishes and delicious food. _I didn't know she could cook_ , he thought, mentally filing that knowledge away with a pleased smile. He also noticed how large the kitchen was compared to other rooms in the house that he had passed walking down the hallway. _I wonder if she enjoys cooking_ , he thought, preparing to ask her later and hoping the the answer would be yes.

"Yep, just about ready. Maybe another 5 minutes," she said, placing the chicken back in the oven and setting the timer to 5 minutes.

He moved to sit in one of the chairs at the kitchen table and as he sat down he felt an odd shaped object in his front left pocket. _Oh, right_ , he thought. He stood to remove a small white box from his pocket and walked over toward her.

"Karui. I got this for you. As a thanks for making dinner, and also for escorting me around to places for the last 8 months. I really appreciate it," said Chouji, as he softly smiled at her and handed her the small white box.

She looked at it with a confused look, but then smiled at him with a slightly furrowed brow and said "oh, Chouji, you didn't have to get me anything. It's my job and my pleasure and—OH MY GOODNESS ARE THESE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATES," she said, eyes widening so much Chouji was seriously worried they might pop out of her skull.

"Um, yes," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I remembered you saying they were your favorite on the first day that we walked around shopping so…I thought…they would be…you know that we are about to have dinner in a few minutes, right," he asked, finishing with a soft chuckle as she began eating two or three of the chocolates with a look of pure pleasure on her face. He had to admit, he liked seeing that expression on her face.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes and said "I know. But they're soooo good. SO GOOD. I can't resist them. They're better than sex." She popped another in her mouth and hummed in appreciation as her eyes closed slightly. Chouji stared at her uncomfortably and wondered, _wait, has she-_

Suddenly, ding of the timer goes off and she placed the box of chocolates down reluctantly, turning away to take the chicken out of the oven. Chouji moved quickly to push the chocolates out of the way and onto a side table out of sight while she was distracted, eyeing the chocolates with narrowed eyes.

She placed the chicken on the counter and moved to cut it. He watched her, acutely amazed at how fast she moved to complete her task.

"So, do you enjoy cooking," he asked, silently begging that the answer be an excited yes.

"Sure," she said with a shrug. _I'll settle for that_ , he thought, inwardly half-smiling.

"My mother cooked a lot when I was a child and taught me everything I know. She was determined to make sure I didn't go hungry and that I could be self-sufficient as I grew older."

"I haven't met your family yet, do they—"

"They passed away years ago. During a mission. Shortly after I started school, actually," she said, not looking up at him.

"Oh, I'm very sorry," he said, with genuine sympathy laced in his voice.

"It's alright. I have memories of them, and they did many things to ensure that I would be taken care of growing up in case something like that happened, so life wasn't so terrible. I have been luckier than most," she said as a sad, small smile gracing her lips. "But enough about all that. Dinner is ready. Let's eat," she said, excitedly grabbing his arm to pull him up and push him toward the food. "The guest always starts first with filling their plate. I'm coming up behind you."

Chouji looked at the food apprehensively, realizing that, yet again, he just wasn't hungry. _What's wrong with me_ , he thought, _it's dinner time. And the food looks amazing._ Suddenly, he felt her knock her hip playfully up against his hip as she said, "Come _ooon_ , Chouji, quit holding up the food line," with mock irritation in her voice and a smirk. He blushed as he began to pick up various portions of food. Less than he would have normally eaten but enough to not seem rude. He walked around the counter and took his food to the table.

She was peering around him, looking closely at how much he was putting on his plate and the tension that was present in his eyes as he smiled down at the food before him. _What's the matter with him_ , she thought. _Is there something wrong with the food? Oh no, did I make something he didn't like? I tried to make food I remembered reading in cookbooks I bought from Konoha…what if he doesn't like this stuff? What if I made the food too spicy? What if I made the food too bland?_ She felt sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck. _What if he thinks I've cooked too much? What if I haven't cooked enough? What if—_ and she suddenly stopped, eyes widening slightly in horror as she realized something. _Damnit, I'm acting like Omoi. This is so uncool. GET IT TOGETHER, KARUI._ She bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance.

As he was walking back to the table, she grabbed her food quickly and went to set her plate on the table at the spot opposite of him. Before she sat down she went to the fridge and pulled out two beers, and handed one to him before sitting down.

"Alright. So, tell me how amazing my cooking is," she said with a smirk, motioning for him to start eating.

He chuckled softly and took a bite of one of the side dishes, and instantly froze.

 _Oh, no_ , she thought, eyes widening in panic.

 _Oh, wow_ , he thought, pleased smile forming across his face as he continued to chew his food. _Its…absolutely delicious…_

He looked up and saw the panicked look on her face, and he put his chop sticks down. He reached to grab her hand that was sitting on the table balling up into a tight fist, pulled it closer to himself across the table and said "Karui, it's absolutely delicious."

She looked at him with wide eyes, then beamed at him excitedly and said, "oh, Chouji! I'm glad you liked it! Try some of the other dishes, please!"

"But, I just have one question," he said, still holding her hand but beginning to pick up another side dish with his chop sticks. "These are all dishes from my village. Surely your mother didn't teach you how to make these?" He peered up at her from his plate, placing the food in his mouth but giving her a knowing look.

She blushed at this and said, "well, no, she didn't. These were recipes I got from a cook book I got in Konoha the last time I came to visit. I bought it hoping to learn a few recipes for…well…something like this."

His eyes began to narrow ever so slightly as he said with a smirk, "Karui, the last time you visited Konoha was a little over 4 months ago."

Her face reddened more as she gave him a small shrug.

Chouji chuckled, blushing slightly himself as he replied with, "well, you've certainly mastered these recipes. The food is excellent."

Karui giggled, waving her hand in appreciation saying, "thank you, Chouji. I'm just glad you like the food."

"Like it? I love it. The flavors, the textures…everything is cooked to perfection. You nailed all of it," he said, grinning at her.

"Well, be sure to go back for seconds - there's plenty left," said Karui, giving him a warm smile.

He looked down at his plate, already feeling the tightness in his stomach indicating that he's full when he responded with, "Ah, well, I'm a bit stuffed, but—"

"Oh, come now, Chouji, I insist," said Karui. Suddenly, she leaned across the table and whispered to him slyly, "besides, I prefer bigger, taller, muscular guys as opposed to skinny, wimpy guys anyway because," she leaned close to his ear and whispered breathily, "I'm a lot to handle."

As she pulled back, she smirked at him and moved to get up and fill her own plate with more food. Chouji remained frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth gaping open, blushing madly.


	9. 9: Dinner af Karui's pt 2

As the evening progressed, liked most dinners between shinobi who fought and survived after the war, casual conversation about everyday life turned to war stories and trips down memory lane to "the times before the war."

"There were over 300 of them, if I remember correctly. Omoi and I were totally cornered. Omoi was concerned about his chakra reserves, so I had to fight all of the White Zetsu by myself. The bastards never saw it coming. I tore right threw them and cut every last one of them down with 4 swings of my sword," said Karui, swinging her arms to demonstrate the motions with a grin on her face.

"I bet you were amazing," said Chouji, smiling.

"Not as amazing as you, Chouji. I heard about your expansion jutsu taking out thousands of White Zetsu with the swing of your arm, and your Ino-Shika-Cho combo attack on the Geto Statue. I also heard about your fight with your sensei," said Karui, looking at him sympathetically.

Chouji frowned slightly, and looked away out the large windows. Karui's dining room area had a row of windows that overlooked the city below. Her apartment was not far from the Raikage's Office, so you could see much of the city from her apartment. Lights lit up the village streets but most of the lights in homes and storefronts were out. _It's getting late,_ thought Chouji.

"I shouldn't keep you much longer. We've got an early start tomorrow," said Chouji, turning back toward her with a half smile on his face. She was still looking at him, head tilted to the side quizzically and eyes slightly squinted as if she was trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject," said Karui, frowning slightly.

"No, it's alright. I don't mind talking about Asuma-sensei or that fight. Asuma and that fight helped shape me into the man I am today, and helped me find my confidence. There are many days that I am glad that I went through what I went through," he said, smiling at her with his eyes closed happily.

He looked away out the window again, expression more serious and said, "but I won't lie and say that the memory and that my thoughts of Asuma-sensei are always completely happy. I miss Asuma-sensei every day. When I visit Kurenai-sensei and hold Mirai in my arms, I am reminded that she will never meet him, and that Asuma-sensei will never see her grow up. Shikamaru, Ino and I have a responsibility to see that she grows up happy, healthy, and that she lives a full and long life - we owe that to Asuma-sensei for all of the things he did for us. That responsibility frightened me for a long time - especially the first time I held Mirai when she was a baby and I realized just how small and fragile she really was, and how much protecting she really needed."

Chouji closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, and turned to look at Karui, who was staring at him with a concerned expression on her face.

"But over time, the fear subsided. I think three major things changed my perspective.

Shikamaru showed all of us that we were the next generation that would inherit the…well, the whole world, really, after Asuma-sensei's generation. We needed to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves, for the conflicts that come our way and for the next generation after us.

The war showed me that I could handle that level of responsibility, and that it was my destiny. I embraced it and have continued to embrace it fully.

And the third thing was Mirai herself. Watching her grow up. Seeing her fall down, pick herself up and move on without a care in the world reminded me that she was Asuma-sensei's and Kurenai-sensei's daughter and that she is stronger than I originally thought." He chuckled.

He reached for his beer and took a large gulp before he said, "but, really, Karui. It is getting late. I should really head back to my—"

Suddenly, Karui leaned over the table and kissed him, much to his surprise. She touched his cheek softly, and her eyes were closed.

His eyes were wide in shock, and before he could do anything, she pulled away quickly, not looking at him, face red.

There was a moment when neither of them said anything. Chouji continued to stare at her, dumbfounded, mouth hanging open slightly. She continued to look away, face red as she bite her lower lip.

"You're…you're right, Chouji. It is getting late. And we do have an early start tomorrow. Come on, I'll show you to the door," said Karui, rising from her seat with an unusual amount of grace and still avoiding his eye contact.

As if the trance was broken by her words, Chouji's mouth shut abruptly and he frowned slightly, suddenly feeling like he did something really wrong, but he couldn't think straight enough to figure out what it was. He rose from his seat, and turned to follow behind her as they walked down the narrow hallway toward the front door.

Karui waited for him to put on his sandals, then opened the door for him, still looking anywhere but at him.

Chouji furrowed his brow in frustration. _This…this isn't right. This isn't the way this was supposed to happen. Why is she acting this way? What did I do…What should I do…I have to fix this_ , he thought.

Chouji moved to the frame of the door, then turned around to face Karui, who was looking down at their feet. And then it hit him.

He reached a hand under her chin, and lifted her head so that she looked up at him. There was pain in her eyes, he noticed.

He leaned down, closed his eyes, and planted a kiss on her lips.

As he pulled away, he opened his eyes to look at her. Her eyes were still closed. He smiled at this.

He turned to walk off down the path toward his apartment and said, "Goodnight, Karui," with a wave over his shoulder.

He heard her mumble something that sounded like "Goodnight." He chuckled to himself as he continued walking down the path.


	10. 10: Photographs and DVDs

TenTen was looking at herself in the mirror and adjusting the braids that sat on either side of her head when a knock sounded on the door to her apartment.

She went to the door, and opened it to reveal a smiling Rock Lee.

She smiled back at him, and invited him inside. "Hi, Lee. I've got one more thing I need to do before we leave. Just give me a moment. You know where the living room is, and the kitchen of your thirsty or hungry - make yourself at home," she said as she walked back toward her room in a hurry.

His eyes trailed after her before he turned to close the door to her apartment. He walked into her living room, and sat on one of the soft chairs facing the TV. As he reached for the remote sitting on the coffee table in front of him, he noticed something under the TV on the TV stand shelf that he hadn't noticed before. _She must have added these recently_ , he thought, as he moved to squat down in front of the TV to get a closer look.

There were several photographs of their team, Neji, TenTen and Neji together, and only one of himself and TenTen together, which sat close to the front.

There was a photo of the three of them together as genin. TenTen was in the middle with her fists in the air screaming in excitement at having achieved something great. Lee was to the left, and had one fist in the air with a determined look on his face. And Neji was on the right, looking supremely irritated for being forced to stand next to them to take that photo as Guy stood behind them all with his hands on Lee and Neji's shoulders, smiling proudly.

There was a photo of Neji dressed as a school girl, looking at the camera innocently. Lee snickered at that one.

There was a photo of TenTen and Neji resting on a tree branch, talking. TenTen was laying on her back with her hands behind her head, peering up at him skeptically and Neji was laying against the trunk, eyes closed but apparently laughing. Lee remembered taking that photo - it was after practice one day, and TenTen had just sparred. TenTen felt pretty confident that she had Neji cornered with a particular move, but he claimed to have seen right through it, even though her shot landed seamlessly.

There was a photo of Neji when he became a Jounin, and there was a small smile on his face as Lee shook his hand and TenTen had an arm wrapped around his neck and was beaming at him proudly.

There were many others. But Lee frown and thought, _she only has one photo of me, but so many of Neji..._

But before he could continue with that train of thought, TenTen came around the corner and said she was ready. She noticed that he was looking at those photos, and half smiled at him. "I see you found my memorial to Neji. I was going through old photos the other day and decided to put those out since the anniversary of his death was coming up. I'm planning to leave them out so I can remember him and our time as a team a little bit each day."

Lee nodded in understanding, and said "yes, I was admiring them. There were some that really brought back funny memories. Like Neji dressed as a girl." He covered his mouth as he began to snicker again.

TenTen rolled her eyes at him, but was smiling. "Yeah, but if I remember correctly, he only did that because you made him. And I seem to remember you also dressing up like a girl plenty of times, Lee."

Lee cleared his throat as he blushed slightly, remembering their exploits. "Yes, well, I don't see any of that in photographs. At least I have that over Neji."

TenTen smirked at him, but shook her head and said, "I don't know about that, Lee. I may not have photos, but I do have—" she opened the entertainment center next to the tv and revealed a collection of DVDs — "proof on video."

Lee gaped at her in shock. "How…How did you…"

"It's not about the how, Lee. It's that I have them," she said as she grinned at him deviously. "But seriously, Lee, we should go. I've already made us a little late for our lunch reservation."

Lee continued to stare worriedly at the at the DVDs and nodded in affirmation as he followed her out of her apartment, wondering, _now, how can I remove those DVDs from her apartment without her knowing…_


	11. 11: Sunflowers

During the walk, Lee tried several times to convince TenTen to give him those DVDs. He begged, he demanded, and he even attempted to threaten but stopped quickly as they enter the Yamanaka Flower Shop. They went in to purchase flowers for Neji's grave site, which they planned to visit after lunch.

Behind the counter sat Ino and Sai. Ino was sitting on a stool wearing a crown of purple flowers in her hair. She was blushing and giggling madly as Sai sat in a stool next to her and drew a portrait of her, occasionally reaching over to shift a piece of hair out of her face or fix a flower just right.

They whispered things back and forth, and occasionally burst into loud laughter at something one or the other said.

 _It seems like everyone has someone_ , thought TenTen as she watched Sai lean in and whisper something in Ino's ear, who immediately giggled. _I wish that I had someone like that._ TenTen peered sideways at Lee, who was looking at a selection of floral arrangements with a frustrated look on his face. _But at this point, I think I never will,_ she thought, looking down in disappointment.

 _I wish I could get a girlfriend like Ino as easily as Sai did. I wonder what his secret is…maybe I should ask him,_ thought Lee, trying not to look at Sai or Ino. They were making him feel very uncomfortable. He looked around at the many arrangements of flowers and thought, _maybe Sai was able to win Ino over because he could pick out an arrangement she liked. I certainly have no idea how to pick one out._

He glance at TenTen as she looked at a particular arrangement, and smelled the flowers with a pleased smile on her face. He continued to watch her and thought, _I wonder what sort of flowers TenTen likes…_

He watched her softly touch the petals of a daisy, and move toward a wall covered in sunflowers. He heard her sigh quietly, and watched her nod her head resolutely as she reached for a small arrangement of sunflowers. She turned toward him, surprised to find him watching her.

His eyes widened in embarrassment and he bit his lip, not quite sure what to say. He looked side to side as if he were trying to find the answer.

"Um, TenTen. Did you…did you find an arrangement that you think he would like," he said, not looking at her.

She walked over to him and said "yes. He always liked sunflowers. Or so Hinata says." She smiled up at him "We should go pay for these and hurry on to the restaurant. I'm starving."

Without waiting for a response, she walked passed him and on to the counter. He followed, but continued to feel a little embarrassed.

"Hi, Ino," said TenTen, setting the arrangement on the counter.

As if broken out of a trance, Ino turned toward her newest customer and screeched in excitement when she recognized the two of them. _Took you long enough to notice us,_ thought TenTen bitterly.

Ino walked around the counter and hugged TenTen. "How have you been? It's been a little while since I've seen you both. You were both on a mission for, what was it," said Ino, questioningly.

"Six weeks," said Lee, smiling at her.

"Over a month. How are things? How was the mission," said Ino, smiling excited at the both of them.

TenTen looked at Lee, who nodded. "Oh, things are fine. We're fine. The mission went well with very little hang-ups. It was a recovery mission for a lost mother and daughter. They're back home and safe now."

"Good, good," said Ino, smile softening. "You stopped by the Shop at a good time, by the way. I was just about to close in a few minutes. Sai and I just received a summons from the Hokage about a mission ourselves," she said, nodding toward Sai.

"Shizune said there will be other elite jounin who will be part of this mission. I wonder if you two will be included, " said Sai, looking at the two of them with a blank face.

"Oh! That would be exciting! We haven't been on a mission together in a long time, TenTen," said Ino, grinning at TenTen, who just chuckled.

"Well, even if we don't get put on the mission…perhaps we could do something as a full group before you leave? I heard Shikamaru and Chouji were coming back into town in the next day or so. And Hinata, Shino and Kiba returned with us," said TenTen.

"That would be great. Maybe we could go out to dinner…BBQ or something," said Ino, grinning excitedly.

TenTen looked at Lee, who smiled. "We are looking forward to it. But, um, not to be rude, but we are running a little late for our lunch reservation. We should probably pay for these and head to the restaurant," said TenTen, smiling sheepishly.

"Ah, sure, no problem. Just let me wrap these for you and I'll get you checked out," said Ino, dashing back around the counter.

"Here, Ino, I'll wrap them. You go ahead and check them out. We should probably get going as well," said Sai, lifting off of his stool and grabbing the arrangement.

Ino smiled at him appreciatively, and began ringing up the order.

Lee took this opportunity to look at TenTen again, who was watching them with a strange expression.

 _They seem so perfect for each other,_ TenTen thought.

"So, Lee, are you getting these for TenTen," asked Ino abruptly as she winked in his direction. He immediately turned away from TenTen and blushed as he waved his hands in dismissal.

"W-what? Oh! Um, no, no! This is for Neji! For his grave site," said Lee nervously, raising his hands in the air defensively.

"Oh, I see," said Ino, looking mildly disappointed. She peered over at Sai, who shrugged slightly.

TenTen furrowed her brow in annoyance at Ino and said "yeah, today is the anniversary of his death. We are visiting his grave site and paying our respects."

Ino and Sai paused, bowed their heads and said, "He is honored," in unison before continuing their tasks. Ino said, "yes, Shikamaru, Chouji and I will likely go to visit Uncle Shikaku and my father's grave sites once they return to town."

"They are honored," said TenTen and Lee, bowing their heads.

"Alright, so who's paying," asked Ino, grinning and looking back and forth between the two.

"I've got it," said TenTen, pulling out her wallet from her purse.

"No, TenTen, I insist, I will pay for this," said Lee, pulling out his wallet.

"No, Lee. The flowers were my idea. I'll get them," said TenTen, turning toward him, placing her hand on his hand that was holding his wallet.

"But this is something that we are doing together, to honor him, and you came up with the great idea and picked out this beautiful arrangement. The least I could do is pay for it," said Lee, turning toward her as well, smiling down at her appreciatively.

"Uh, you guys…" Ino started, but was interrupted.

"Lee, just let me pay for the flowers. We don't have time to argue. It was my idea, as you said. Let me take responsibility for the price," said TenTen, brow furrowing in irritation. She moved closer to him, attempting to push his hand away from the counter.

"But, TenTen, I really do insist that you let me pay for them. I want to contribute to this part of our remembrance to Neji. At least let me do this one thing," said Lee, pulling his hand away so that he could get to his wallet and inadvertently pulling her closer toward himself.

She didn't seem to notice though, and continued, "One thing? Lee, don't be silly. They're just flowers. Just let me—"

Ino cleared her throat loudly, interrupting the two who turned to look at her with eyes wide.

"Why don't you just split the cost," said Ino, looking at them annoyed.

"Well I—" started Lee. "But—" started TenTen. But they both hesitated, and looked at each other.

They smiled, and nodded in agreement. They paid their money, TenTen picked up the arrangement and they both waved goodbye to their friends before they walked out the door.

"What a bunch of lovesick morons, those two," mumbled Ino as she rolled her eyes.


	12. 12: You're an idiot, Naruto

After leaving the restaurant, Lee and TenTen turned to head toward the cemetery.

On their way there, they spotted Naruto and Sakura, who were arguing loudly.

"Nar-ru-tooo," Sakura growled, glaring at him dangerously, "You know better than to encourage him. Teaching Konohamaru to be a pervert just like you isn't very becoming of a future leader of Konoha."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Naruto, rubbing the back of his head and scrunching up in face in annoyance. "I was just enjoying myself, for once."

"What the heck is that supposed to—"

"Hey, Sakura, Naruto," yelled Rock Lee, waving at them.

Relieved to be free of Sakura's scolding, Naruto waved back excitedly, exclaiming, "Bushy-Brow! TenTen! How's it goin'?!" And hurriedly walked over to them, leaving Sakura behind to watch him with an annoyed look on her face.

She soon followed after him, and smiled at Lee and TenTen, grabbing TenTen's hand and asking her more directly how she's been. TenTen nodded and smiled appreciatively.

"So, what are…you two…up to…" said Naruto, peering back and forth between the two, deviously, and peering down at the flowers in TenTen's hands.

Totally oblivious, Lee said, "We just came back from lunch and now we are heading over to the cemetery to visit Neji."

Naruto's face straightened, and he said very seriously, "Yes, today is the anniversary of his death. Hinata and I went by to see him earlier this morning."

TenTen and Sakura looked at one another benevolently, then Sakura said, "So, are those flowers for him, then?"

"Yes, Hinata said his favorite flowers were sunflowers," said TenTen, smiling sadly, looking down at the arrangement in her hands.

"TenTen picked out that arrangement. I think Neji will like it very much - it's very beautiful," said Lee with a crinkled smile in her direction.

Sakura considered him for a moment, smiling, and said, "yes, it's very beautiful."

"So…um…Sakura," said Lee, trying to ease the tension. "How is Sasuke?"

Sakura immediately blushed, and Naruto rolled his eyes slightly, but smiled in her direction. "Oh, he's Sasuke, you know. Last time he wrote me, he was somewhere over in Kusa, in a small village helping them rebuild homes."

"Really? I never pegged him as the kind of guy who would do something like that," said TenTen, smirking.

"He has changed," said Sakura, looking off toward Naruto for confirmation, who nodded firmly.

"Did he say anything about what he plans to do next," asked Lee.

"Well, he…"

As Sakura continued, TenTen peered over at Lee from the corner of her eye. She watched the way he looked at Sakura, nodding politely and occasionally commenting.

 _I wonder if he still loves her,_ she thought.

In the middle of her talk about Sasuke's advertures, Sakura noticed TenTen's eyes start to wander toward Lee. He didn't notice it, but Sakura did. She saw the way that TenTen looked at him, and couldn't help but smile inwardly as she thought, _Ino was right, they do like each other…_

"Well, Naruto, Sakura, it was a pleasure talking with you both. Sakura, when you write Sasuke again, tell him I said hello. TenTen, shall we continue onward," said Lee, smiling down at her softly.

"Sure, Lee. Naruto, Sakura, see you around," said TenTen, waving goodbye.

As they walk off, Sakura turns slightly to look in their direction, and sees Lee look at TenTen with that soft smile again. Sakura chuckled, causing Naruto to ask her what was funny.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that those two ought to get together. They would make a cute couple," said Sakura, smiling contently.

Naruto snorted with laughter. "That's pretty much obvious to everyone, Sakura. I thought you might be laughing because you were thinking about what their kids might look like."

Sakura's eyes widened, then she bit her lower lip, trying not to laugh. "Oh, shut up, Naruto, that's not funny," she said, looking at him with half-hearted annoyance.

"You know it is, Sakura. But what I don't get," said Naruto, face screwing up in frustration, "is why would a girl like TenTen fall for an idiot like him? I mean, she could probably have any guy she wanted. She's pretty…strong…smart…she seems to do well financially…"

"I think, in TenTen's case, she's attracted to Lee because he's always motivated her to be her best self. To always strive to do better, become stronger, and persevere. And they share a deep bond because they both have made doing so their mantra," said Sakura, smirking at him. "That sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?"

Naruto stared at her with a confused look. "Huh," he said, eyebrow raising. "Sakura, what the heck are you talkin' about?"

"You're an idiot, Naruto," said Sakura, sighing with exhaustion. 


End file.
